Team India: Performance appraisal

Team India: Performance appraisal

There are just three matches left in the second edition of the ICC T20 World Cup.

And India's campaign has ended with a humiliating 12-run defeat against South Africa on Tuesday.

Actually the defending champions had surrendered their crown in their previous match against hosts England - their second straight Super Eight's defeat after a shocking loss against the West Indies.

The match against the Proteas was a mere formality. Probably a chance to redeem some glory or simply add to the humiliation that the team had already suffered.

Unfortunately, it was the latter.

Team India, that was considered favourite to win the title, has again flattered to deceive.

The tournament started with reports of a rift between Dhoni and Virender Sehwag. The captain labled the fourth estate 'false and irresponsible' and even came out with his entire team on the eve of their opener aggainst Bangladesh in a bid to nullify the reports.

However, Sehwag being ruled out of the tournament subsequently and his admission that he was not fit going into the tour succeeded in only flaring up the controversy.

Besides, it started a cold war between Dhoni and the media, something that continued throughout the tournament.

But the team's disappointing performance was the only thing that mattered eventually.

The aftermath of the three successive defeats has been on expected lines: the players involved have given their share of explanations, the captain (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) has been on an overdrive - trying to give every reason possible, not that anyone is buying it, the critics have done (or are still doing) what they do best and the fans as usual have been left disappointed.

What is left to do is to analyse the performance of each and every player and find out what was their contribution to the team's cause.

And mind you, the term 'contribution' here isn't entirely being used in its negative connotation.

Image: A sign board is left behind after the ICC World Twenty20 cricket super eight match between India and South AfricaPhotographs: Reuters

Captaincy under fire

Team India's woeful performance at the T20 World Cup has ensured Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have a torrid time in the coming days.

Critics are sparing no opportunity to blame Dhoni's captaincy and poor form as the crucial reasons behind the debacle.

Many of his decisions are being questioned and many believe his luck has run out (remember, he was always labeled the 'lucky' captain).

The captain has to lead from the front, they say.

Dhoni hasn't (in this tournament).

And the passionate Indian fans (even the critics are fans after all) aren't willing to forgive, at least not now - they will if India beats the West Indies later this month.

Flash back to 2007 and Dhoni, who had just recently assumed the mantle of captaincy led India to the inaugural T20 world title in South Africa.

The euphoria that ensued increased with every passing tournament and Dhoni was arguably considered the best leader.

The results validated the argument - the Commonwealth Bank Series triumph Down Under, the series win at home against the Australians, the English, the defeat of the Sri Lankans twice on their home ground and a first series win in New Zealand in 42 years were all feathers in Dhoni's cap.

Even the fact that he, as a skipper, lost three successive finals last year - the IPL final (with Chennai Super Kings), the triangular series decider in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup final - was generously sidelined.

Dhoni's captaincy (the luck factor included) reached glorious heights that none of his predecessors had attained in such a short span.

But every thing that goes up has to come down. And so has Dhoni.

The expectations from Team India are so high at present that even one defeat is hard to digest.

Dhoni's side suffered three straight defeats.

And their failure to even reach the last four stage of a tournament where they were the defending champions has ensured criticisms from every quarters.

This is a passing phase (as was his good phase) but it will be hard for Dhoni while it lasts.

Blame it on inexperience

Rohit Sharma's elevation to the opener's slot was questioned in various quarters.

However, his whirlwind 80 from 53 balls in the warm-up game against Pakistan was a good answer first up.

The Mumbai player made 36 in the first match against Bangladesh, another good effort.

And registered his career-best innings in the format in the next match against Ireland, an unbeaten 52 off 45 balls which was two runs better than 50 not out off 40 balls against South Africa at Durban in September last year.

However, the youngster failed when it mattered the most.

His scores read 5, 9 and 29 in the three Super 8s matches and with India losing all the three games, questions regarding his elevation cropped up again.

Blame it on inexperience or lack of application, but Rohit Sharma left the examination hall having answered only half the questions.

Statistics don't lie

If you want more, it will be suffice to say his scores in the tournaments read 10, 5, 2 and 3.

One of the biggest successes in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (in Chennai Super Kings colours) turned into one of the biggest failures in the second edition of the T20 World Cup.

The fact that he has been dropped (read not considered owing to injury) from the Indian squad for the forthcoming tour of West Indies explains the repurcussions of the failure on arguably one of India's finest talents.

The harbinger of hope

Without doubt, the biggest success for India in the second edition of the T20 World Cup.

He was to this Indian side what Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have been to some previous sides.

Yuvraj Singh's wicket was considered crucial to the rival team's fortunes throughout the tournament and that in itself, is a huge compliment fot any player.

Carrying on with the form that witnessed him hitting six sixes in an over (of Stuart Broad) in the inaugural edition two years back, the left-hander from Punjab displayed his aggression with an amazing regularity in the second edition.

If his whirlwind 41 from 22 balls against Bangladesh in the opener ensured India a winning total as against a competitive one, his 67 against West Indies was yet another touch of class.

His early dismissals, after aggressive starts, against England and South Africa meant an end to India's aspirations as most other batsmen were woefully out of form.

Yuvraj (with an aggregate of 415 runs) is now the second Indian after Gautam Gambhir (476) to complete 400 runs in Twenty20 Internationals.

Let down by expectations

Those who expected him to repeat his Indian Premier League exploits on English tracks perhaps expected a bit too much.

Yusuf Pathan is an asset on the flat tracks of the subcontinent, but somewhat of a liability on faster tracks abroad.

And that he struggled to make most of the opportunities he got gives ample testimony of that.

Most importantly, his inability (Dhoni takes part of the blame) to ensure a win against England despite having enough time to plan his innings (he finished 33 not out eventually) will be criticised for some time to come.

More so by aficionados who expected him to succeed big time, a la IPL.

If one considers his figures just as a regular spinner, Harbhajan did everything right, tested the batsmen, checked the flow of runs and got a few wickets in the bargain.

But it is when you analyse Harbhajan in his new role that it appears he has failed to deliver.

The offie did a good containing job but as a strike bowler you are supposed to strike (take wickets) and therein lies Bhajji's failure.

Harbhajan's performance was an encore of his effort in IPL II - where too he had been economical but not potent.

On the positive side, his 3 for 30 against England was his best bowling figures in Twenty20 Internationals, surpassing the 2 for 24 against New Zealand in Johannesburg in the inaugural World Twenty20 and with 16 wickets (along with Irfan Pathan), Harbhajan shares the Indian bowling record for most wickets in Twenty20 Internationals.

Carrying the IPL success forward

Pragyan Ojha not only kept a check on the flow of runs but also ensured the fall of wickets.

If the second edition of the IPL had yielded 18 wickets for the left-armer, who was a member of the eventual champions Deccan Chargers, the second edition of T20 world cup saw Ojha take seven wickets in the three matches that he played.

His 4/21 in the opening match against Bangladesh made him the second Indian bowler and the seventh overall to take a four-wicket haul in Twenty20 Internationals.

It also made him only the fifth bowler to take four wickets in an innings on debut in the World Twenty20, joining Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul, New Zealand's Mark Gillespie and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan.

He picked up three more wickets in the next two matches but was dropped for the final two games.

Nothing much to write about

Irfan Pathan didn't do much in the three matches he played but India won two of them.

And the two matches he didn't feature in, India lost.

We're not saying Irfan was Team India's lucky mascot.

Instead, his not being part of the team during the losses that ensured the exit spares him the blushes.

Since he didn't do much, one can be parsimonious pertaining to his performance appraisal.

Suffice to say that his lone wicket in the tournament took his tally to 16 wickets, something that (along with Harbhajan Singh) makes him the Indian bowler with most wickets in Twenty20 Internationals.